The Catcher in the Rye
by Aiko-Chan SoT
Summary: There's no innocence anymore. -SonicxTails brotherly- R&R!
1. prologue

_New story idea! Anyone ever read _The Catcher in the Rye_? Well, this story is inspired by that one. I've never read the whole thing, but I pretty much know the story. So this story is based on that. :3 _

_It's going to be like...a diary type thing. Think of _A Perks of Being a Wallflower_. Kind of like that, but with the story mixed in as well._

_I think I'll be proud of this. :3_

_You know the drill. ;D Sadness is how I role._

**The Catcher in the Rye**

_"...What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all..."_

_--__**Holden Caulfield  
from The Catcher in the Rye**_

**Prolouge**_  
Winter_

_April 20th_

_You do not know me. And I do not know you. But before you throw this letter away, please let me tell you why I'm writing to you. It's not a prank. It's not anything funny. It's all serious. Which is why I'm asking you to hear me out._

_I won't tell you my name until later. Probably in my last letter. And I do not know yours. You're just a randomly selected address far from where I am. You must think I'm crazy, and yes, this is true. I believe I am crazy. But after what I've been through, you would be too._

_I'm writing to you because...well, because no one else will listen. I'm alone in the world. I'm sitting right now in an aslym because of what I've done. But my mind isn't gone. Everything else is. I have nothing to live for._

_Maybe because you don't know me, I think you'll listen. Or maybe just because I'm lonely, and have to pretend someone is listening. Because if I have to believe no one is listening, no one is there, I'll die._

_All of my life, I've lived off attention, off people who admired me, wanted to be me. Now, no one wants to be around me. People avoid me. And they've finally stuck me here, a place where I honestly cannot get away. I'm trapped on all sides. Not only by the white washed walls of this ayslum, but by myself._

_So please, just listen. Give me something to live for. Don't send this back, don't convince me that there's no on there._

_'Cause really, I don't have anything left. This is it._

_Annon._

_

* * *

  
_

It's dark. Cold. Midnight has come and gone. The moon is hidden behind a vast cover of clouds. Snow hides the grass. The roads are quiet. White. Everything's still. Silent. A peaceful kind of night. One that makes the darkness seem less scary, makes children doubt the presence of monsters in the long shadows.

There's a form lying in the grass near the road. The wind blows softly, ruffling the fur on his forehead. Snow begins to fall again. It's so quiet you can hear the snowflakes hit the snow. The figure doesn't stir, doesn't move. It snows harder. A car is approaching. The silence is broken. The world has come alive again as it slowly passes. Still, the figure is still.

There are footsteps. Again, silence is broken. The snow crunches beneath his shoes. His feet are a blur as he runs. His breath fly's behind him in a fog, rising only a second before its gone. His eyes are frantic, his breath ragged, his feet fast, but not fast enough.

He almost doesn't see the figure through the snow. He nearly trips over the body, and skids to a stop just before impact. His green eyes stare into blue. His breath suddenly stops rising in fog. For a moment, they both seemed to have died. His wide green eyes match the raised blue ones. The wind lifts his fur as he falls to his knees, continuing to stare.

Lifeless blue eyes stare at him. Mouth agape, foam still dripping, body crumbled and twisted. He reachs out; cold. Too cold. Too cold. Ice cold. The snow is nearly a blizzard now. Silence.

He breaths raggedly, finally, fog rising from his mouth, disappearing. Eyes sting from cold tears. Too cold. Way too cold.

His head falls into his hands. He wraps around himself, crying softly, breaking the silence with his quiet sniffles.

A car approaches. It stops at the edge of the road. Headlights pour down on the two forms. The door opens. Too late. Too late.

He's pulled away. He doesn't resist. It's over. All over.

The body is moved, covered by a blanket. Placed in the backseat next to him.

It's warm. Toasty. Comfortable.

But he still feels cold, so cold. He wraps his hands around his legs, shivering.

The car drives away, and its silent once more.

**End of Chapter**


	2. winter i

_So far, I've recieved positive feedback on this story. For that, I'm grateful. =]_

**The Catcher in the Rye**

**Chapter One  
**_Winter_

_May 1st_

_So as you've already probably guess, these letters will had a bit of time between each one. Even us crazy people have things to take care of, even locked in a place like this. But don't worry, they'll keep coming._

_By now, you're probably wondering what the point of these letters are. Why am I pointlessly writing to you? Well, I'll tell you. There is a point. Besides the fact that I'm alone, I have a story to tell. An important one. One you may not care about, may not understand, but an important story all the same._

_When I was just three years old, my parents disappeared. No warning, no reason, nothing. They were just gone. I believe they were killed. Why? That I don't know. But whatever happened, I was left alone. To fend for myself. And damn, for that young, I believe I did a pretty good job._

_Even at a young age, I knew I was unique. I could run faster than any of my friends. I could run faster than the train nearby my house. I could race a jet if I wanted to. Maybe this is what helped me survive so much. But whatever the reason, I survived. And I did it well. By five, I was already running around the world on my own._

_Only when I turned ten did my life change forever. _

_Okay, I know. I'm not here to tell you my whole lives story. This is just to clear up confusion for later. But when I turned ten, I found someone who needed me more than anything. A small two-tailed fox. I know, crazy right? A kitsune? Well, its true. This part I didn't make up. He was left alone, kind of like me, but he was abandoned. And I adopted it._

_Well, to make a long story short, he became my best friend in the years that followed. And up until he turned fourteen (oh, and he's just five years younger than me) everything was normal. Well, except for the fact we were hunting by a madman shaped like an egg. But he wasn't a problem._

_No, Tails -- that was his nickname; his full name is Miles Prower -- had a much deeper, life threatening problem._

_Depression._

_He wanted to find his father. And being the idiot I am, I let him._

_And the aftermath wasn't pretty._

_Dammit, I'll have to continue this next letter. They're coming to make me sleep now. Damn those drugs. _

_--Anonn._

Morning sunlight filtered through the blinded windows, spilling onto the sleeping form of the hedgehog. He groaned, flipping over. He needed more sleep, just a few more minutes. His gray covers were twisted awkwardly around his body, and he struggled with them, the winter air from outside somehow making its way through the insulation. His teeth chattered, and he jerked the cover around his body, drifting back into a quiet doze. The analog clock on his nightstand flashes 12:07.

There was a sudden crash in the room adjoining his, and he leaped, startled, falling from the bed, still twisted and tangled, trapped in the covers. Suddenly awake, he struggled with the covers, jerking and twisting until he was free. In seconds he is on his feet, and into the next room, his green eyes wide and fuzzy with sleep.

In the next room, he finds the source of the crash; a chair is knocked over, several books spilling from the bookcase. He watched as an orange form picks himself up from the floor, shaking off the fall. His blue eyes glanced up at green, who look back in annoyance, and he grinned sheepishly, picking himself up from the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the standing form shouted, irritated, as he leans to help his friend off the ground. His green eyes flashed in annoyance, his blue fur ruffled. "I was sleeping! Couldn't you wait until a more decent hour to hunt for books on the top shelf?" The clock on the wall suggests its past noon, but the blue figured payed no mind. Blue eyes closed, and the orange fox rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry, Sonic," he replied, picking the chair up off the floor. "But I was looking for something." He picked up several of the books, placing them back on the shelf. "I need that book with the big map in it. Do you know where it is?" He looked over his shoulder at the blue figure, who rubs his eyes in annoyance.

"No, Tails," Sonic the Hedgehog forces between clinched teeth. "Try the bottom shelves though, won't you?" He turned to walked into the kitchen as Miles 'Tails' Prower bent to search through the books. Sonic walked to the fridge, opening it and taking a can of soda from it. When he returned to the living room, Tails pulled out a book, his face lighting up.

"There it is!" he cried, walking away from the bookcase. He began to flip through the book, eyeing the maps printed on the paper. Sonic eyed him strangely, taking a sip from his soda.

"Why do you need a map for anyway?" he asked, plopping down onto the couch with a thud. He took another sip of his soda.

Tails looked up, his eyes sparkling. "I'm going somewhere," he said simply. This was not a good enough answer for Sonic, and his green eyes narrowed.

"Where, exactly?" he growled.

Tails looked up. "Well, I'm not entirely sure." There was something hidden in the kitsune's eyes, and this didn't go unnoticed by Sonic. He knew his best friend like the back of his own hand. And he was definantly hiding something.

"What's going on, Tails?" he sighed, placing the soda can on the table next to him. Tails looked up, seemingly surprised, but his eyes gave everything away. Sonic said nothing, simply narrowing his eyes. Finally, after a few moments of eyeing each other, Tails dropped the barrier and sighed.

"I...got a letter the other day," he said quietly, returning his attention to the book, flipping through some more pages. Sonic was quiet, waiting for him to continue, and when he didn't, the hedgehog cleared his throat impatiently. Tails sighed, not looking at him. "It was from a....a James."

"Do you know 'a James'?" Sonic asked, resting his head in his hands. Something was wrong; Tails wouldn't normally hide something this insignificant from him. Especially a simple _letter_. When Tails didn't respond immediately, Sonic looked back up from his hands and watched at the kitsune picked up the book, tucking it under his arm. "Well....do you?"

Tails sighed, hesitating. He scratched the back of his head. "Not...directly," he replied, avoiding looking at Sonic. "He....uh....Sonic, it was my father."

Silence. Sonic was stunned into silence. After a moment, he stood, walking toward the kitsune. It wasn't possible. Was it? To them, James was dead. He died on the day he left Tails all alone in that forest all those years ago. So why, now, was he contacting him?

"Let me see the letter," he told him, and Tails speechlessly lead him to their bedroom, rummaging through a drawer until he found the folded, crumple letter. Sonic took it, pulling the paper from the envelope, and read it.

_Dear Miles,_

_I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am. Things did not work out the way I wished they had, and for all those years you've lived without me, I'm sorry._

_Of course, you're probably wondering who I am, and why in the world I'm contacting you by letter. My name is James Prower, and I am your father._

_I know this is a shock to you, but I've been trying to find you for years. I've searched and searched, and when I finally found you, I knew I couldn't face you. So I did the most cowardly thing I could think of; I just sat down and wrote you a letter._

_I hope, Miles, that you can forgive me for what I've done. I've regretted every minute I've not spent with you like I should have. And I would do anything to make it right. But I know coming there may cause problems. And I would not do that to you again. After all, I've done my share in causing you pain. But if you want to find me, grab a map. I didn't put a location on this letter, because of other problems it might cause. But if you want to find me, follow the river outside the forest near your home._

_I know, Miles, that this is sudden and probably causes a mess of confusing feelings for you. But, please, I really want to see you. I've missed you, Miles._

_And remember what I said._

_I'm sorry,_

_--James_

After he was finished, Sonic put the letter back down on the dresser, looking over at Tails. Hatred raged in his heart, but he tried his best to hide it. He knew Tails really wasn't going to leave, especially for some wild goose chase like this. He turned his back to the kitsune, sighing.

"Look, Tails, I'm sorry this happened," Sonic started, not noticing the strange look on Tails's face. "I know we always believe your father was dead, but these things...they just happen and --"

"Uh, Sonic, I--" Tails interrupted, but Sonic took no noticed and continued.

"--he shouldn't have left you like that. And now? To come back begging for forgiveness? That's just --"

"Sonic, I'm going."

That stopped Sonic in his tracks. He looked back at Tails, eyes wide with shock. "...What?"

Tails shuffled his feet, looking down, not meeting Sonic's gaze. He hesitated before speaking.

"...I want to meet my dad, Sonic."

The hedgehog was speechless. He didn't understand how Tails could go running for his father when his father had left them all those years ago. He just didn't get it. He would never go running back to someone who didn't want him. But he couldn't bring himself to tell Tails that. It would break his heart.

"Tails...I don't understand," he finally said, turning around completely. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly. "He's never seen you. He left you abandoned like that. He suddenly wants to find you, and you're going to go _looking_ for him?!" Tails said nothing, and Sonic opened his eyes, the green iris's narrowed. "He had twelve years, Tails." Tails shook his head, turning away and facing the window.

"Maybe he's changed," Tails said quietly, looking out the window. Sonic snorted, shaking his head, but saying nothing. "Maybe it's true. Maybe he wants to see me. Maybe he wants to make things right. It's possible."

Sonic had nothing to say to this. He hated the thoughts of Tails leaving. But what could he do to stop him? It was his father. Regardless of what he thought, Tails did have a right to see him. And Sonic couldn't stop him. But he didn't want him to go. What if James was telling the truth? What if Tails stayed?

He shoved the thought away. That wouldn't happen. But he didn't like the idea of Tails being heartbroken either.

He sighed loudly, breaking the momentary silence. "Fine. Do what you want." Tails turned aroud quickly, eyes shining with surprise. Sonic forced a grin. "He is your father, Tails. Go find him. Just...come back soon, okay?" Tails stared at him a minute longer, before he smiled, running up to Sonic and hugging him.

"Thanks, Sonic!" he cried, rushing into the bedroom. "I promise, I won't be gone long!"

The moment Tails disappeared, the smile fell away. This was going to turn out to be a fight. He could just feel it.

Within a couple of hours, Sonic was standing outside the house, bidding Tails farewell as the kitsune made his way toward the forest, nothing but a backpack on his back and a map in his hand.

When Sonic escaped back into the house, he listened to the silence. He shuddered. Creepy. He already missed Tails's presence. He plopped down on the couch, switching on the TV.

It wasn't keep his attention very well.

**End of Chapter**


	3. winter ii

_YAY FOR CHAPTER 2! AND FAST UPDATES! =D We all love fast updates, right?_

_Anyway, after this story, I'll have another uploaded, based on the plotline of _A Separate Peace_ by John Knowles. It's great. Trust me._

**The Catcher in the Rye**

**Chapter 2:**

_Winter_

_May15th_

_Quicker reply than usual. I hope you're still taking the time to read my letters. I know I feel a release for each word I write. I'm alone in the world now. It's just me. Me and the rest of these lunatics. That's all that exists in my world now. And to think these white clad bastards think I actually have _family_ to write to. What a bunch of shit. My family was lost a long time ago._

_But I'm not writing you to ramble about my sucky life. I'm here to tell you this story. So I get off-track sometimes. Shoot me. Please._

_Where was I? Probably mentioning something about James coming back. James. That man. That lucky bastard just barely escaped me. In case you don't know, James Avery Power was Mile 'Tails' Prower's father. But just by DNA and all that. I wouldn't even dream of comparing that low life to an actual father. What he did to Tails... I wanted to kill him for it...and nearly did._

_But anyway, to clear things up, I'll tell you what happened._

_Tails wanted to see his father. That much I knew. That much, he deserved. I would never deny Tails the chance to see his father, regardless of if the lowlife bastard abandoned him or not. So I let him go. On his own, too, because I knew he wouldn't want me to be there. And even if he did, he needed to face his father on his own. And he needed out of my shadow. He'd been there far too long._

_But maybe if I would have went with him, I could have stopped the thing that would happen. Maybe I could've beaten James into a pulp then and there and stop my best friends heartache. Maybe I could've stopped him completely. But I didn't. I shook the tree branch. I caused him to fall. Maybe not deliberately, but I did. And, in a way, it was more my fault than anything. I could have stopped it before it even started. I could have saved him from himself._

_But I didn't. I didn't, and that's what bothers me the most. Of course, besides the fact he's gone. He's gone and I'll never see him again. He didn't deserve that, but I let him walk right into it. It's my fault. My fault._

_Of course the tears start falling here. I always cry when I think of him. Me, crying. Huh. Never thought it possible a couple of months ago._

_I can't stand it though. He was my little brother, and I let him walk right into those problems. I miss him so much. It's terrible. Just horrible. And it's all my the white clad freaks are coming now i have to stop they heardmeinhere writing and sob ing so ill try write next week keep reading please dont give up on me yetimtrying to make you_

_

* * *

  
_

The house was too empty. He couldn't stand it. It was too quiet.

Tails was gone for three days. For those three days, Sonic wandered around looking for something, anything, to entertain himself with. He tried watching TV several times, but nothing seemed to hold his interest very long. It was pouring the rain, so there was no way for him to run to get rid of his restlessness without becoming soaked, and he wasn't taking that chance.

On more than one occasion, he thought of Tails, and wondered, briefly, if he was with his father, and if he was okay. He actually missed the little guy. The house was way too quiet and empty without him. He wondered if James was treating him right...or if they'd even met yet. He hoped Tails wasn't walking himself sick in this rain for nothing. He pushed the worries aside. Tails was strong. Sonic had faith in him. He would take care of himself.

For those three days, Sonic wandered aimlessly around the house, staring outside at the rain as if willing it to stop. He became irritated with nothing to do, and in his desperation, he picked up a book and began to read. Without glancing at the title, Sonic opened it to a random page and started reading.

To his amazement, the story seemed interesting. He closed it and glanced at the cover; _The Catcher in the Rye_. The title, to him, seemed ridiculous, but he opened it to the beginning and started anyway.

By the end of the third day, Sonic had finished the book.

There was something inside those covers that intrigued him. The story himself left him speechless, and he sat there for several moments pondering on it. This had to be the longest he had sat still all his life. The overall story seemed to move him, and he carefully placed the book back on the shelf, walking into his bedroom to get some rest.

That night, Sonic dreamed of running through golden fields of rye, flying through them, a blue blur among the golden stalks. There was no wind, and the only noise was the laughter of children. It rang through the rye cover fields, happy and carefree.

He would run to the kids preparing to walk unknowingly off the cliff, and save them moments before their demise, racing toward them and sweeping them up, dropping them toward the middle of the field before going back again.

It was a game of tag, one he felt he would play forever.

He saw Tails hiding amongst the rye, and he smiled; his twin-tailed younger brother seemed to want to play, too. In his dream, Sonic raced after him, forgetting of his duty to the kids, and one by one, they tumbled down the invisible cliff, unbeknown that their hero was off playing.

As he and Tails ran through the rye, and suddenly the wind picked up. It was then Sonic noticed that the laughter...it had stopped. Horrified, he forgot of Tails and turned back around, only to find the rye field was gone, replaced by an empty, barren desert. The cliff loomed dangerously in front of him, and Sonic realized, with a panicked cry, the kids had fallen. He had failed.

_"Sonic..." _he heard Tails shouted, and when he turned around, he watched as Tails smiled and, along with the rest of the surrounding area, little by little, bit by bit, began to disappear.

Sonic awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for breath and his heart flying. The dream...It had been so strange. So strange. He knew it had come from that book, that damned book. He shook of the feeling of dread that had leaked from his dreams to reality, and pulled himself out of bed. It was four am. Stretching, Sonic retreated into the kitchen, grabbing a soda from the fridge.

The dream was still vivid in his mind, and Sonic knew he needed fresh air to get rid of it completely. He heard no rain outside, to his relief, and he stepped out, breathing deeply as he walked off the porch. It was still dark, and the silence outside soothed him. It was cold, the chilliness of the air causing a shiver down his spine.

He walked slowly toward the bushes near the cliff, the fresh air already had cleared his thoughts. He planned to sit on the cliff side until the sun rose, and then go for a walk. But there was something moving in the bushes on the opposite side of the cliff. Sonic whipped around, ears perked, twisting in the direction of the noise. The can of soda in his hand was dropped to the ground, causing a loud thump, which, in turn, caused a gasped from the bushes. Sonic's eyes narrowed, and he braced himself for battle.

"Who's there?!" he called, and the only answer he got was a muffled noise. His ear twitched, and he stepped toward the bushes, pulling them apart with a jerk of his hand. What he saw surprised him.

"Tails?"

Hunched in the bushes, Tails lifted his head slowly, looking up at Sonic with bloodshot, wet eyes. Tails was disheveled. He looked like he had been crying. There was a long cut on his knee, still dripping blood. A red mark striped along his cheek. He looked horrible.

"Tails, what happened?" Sonic demanded, bending down next to the kitsune, who dropped his head on his knees.

"...He didn't want me, Sonic," the kitsune whispered, cutting straight to the point. Immediately, hatred poured through Sonic's bloodstream. James. That bastard. "He...he told me to leave. Told me he changed his mind." Tails looked up at Sonic finally, his eyes lost, hopeless, alone. "He told me...he hated me. That I shouldn't have even been born. Told me I was...worthless." Sonic felt his blood burn. "And then...then he...h-hit me..."

Sonic stood, his ears burning and his heart bursting into flames. He would kill him. The bastard would die. Tails was sniffling behind him, his young heart broken, his spirit crushed. Sonic made a vow, right then and there, to kill the sick bastard. But Sonic had no idea how deeply the wound ran though Tails, how it had struck his heart fatally.

Sonic turned and helped Tails to his feet. The two walked into the small house silently, Tails heading straight for the bedroom. Sonic stood in the living room, having to force himself to not run there now and kill him. No one touched Tails like that. No one would hit him. Especially someone who didn't even know anything about him.

From that moment on, Sonic hated James. It was such a deep hatred, so vicious, so strong.

Feeling his blood boiling, Sonic finally disappeared into their bedroom, curling into his bed and dreaming of the ways he planned to kill the sick bastard.

**End of Chapter**


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